H5035a H5035a
A container for liquids: either a leather wineskin or an earthenware jar, used literally and as a figure for fragility.
This noun covers two distinct kinds of vessels. In its first sense it denotes a skin bag made from animal hide, used to carry wine or water — Hannah brings a nevel yayin to Shiloh (1 Sam 1:24), and the Gibeonites present worn-out wineskins to Joshua. Job 38:37 extends the image poetically: 'Who can tip the nivle shamayim?' — the waterskins of heaven, meaning the rain clouds. In its second sense it refers to earthenware jars or pitchers, and here the prophets exploit the vessel's fragility: Jeremiah 48:12 pictures Moab's jars being smashed, Lamentations 4:2 compares Zion's precious sons to mere clay pots, and Isaiah 30:14 likens Judah's breaking to the shattering of a potter's flask.
Senses
1. skin, wineskin, waterskin — A skin container — a wineskin or waterskin made from animal hide. The Hebrew construct nevel yayin ('skin of wine') appears in 1 Samuel 1:24, 10:3, and 2 Samuel 16:1 for the practical transport of wine. Hindi 'mashk' and Swahili 'kiriba' both point to leather water-bags, confirming the material sense. Job 38:37 extends this metaphorically to the clouds as 'waterskins of heaven' (nivle shamayim), picturing rainfall as liquid poured from leather bags. 6×
AR["أوعيَةَ", "زِقَّ-", "وَ-زِقِّ", "وَزِقَاقَ", "وَزِقَاقَهُمْ", "وَزِقُّ-"]·ben["আর-জলের-পাত্রগুলি", "একটি-মশক-", "এবং-তাদের-কলসীগুলি", "এবং-মশক", "মশক"]·DE["[ונבלי]", "[ונבליהם]", "skin-von-", "skins-von-", "und-ein-skin-von", "und-skin-von"]·EN["and-a-skin-of", "and-his-jars", "and-skin-of", "and-the-waterskins-of", "skin-of-", "skins-of-"]·FR["et-outre", "et-skin-de", "et-un-skin-de", "et-ונבלי", "skin-de-", "skins-de-"]·heb["ו-נבל", "ו-נבלי", "ו-נבליהם", "נֵבֶל", "נבלי־"]·HI["और-उसकी-कुप्पियों-को", "और-कुप्पी", "और-मशक", "और-मशकें", "मशक", "मशकें"]·ID["dan-buyung-buyungnya", "dan-kantong-kantong", "dan-kendi", "dan-kirbat", "kirbat-"]·IT["e-e-il-waterskins-di", "e-otre", "e-pelle-di", "e-un-pelle-di", "pelle-di-", "skins-di-"]·jav["gimbal-gimbal", "gumbung-", "lan-gendul", "lan-gendul-toya-ipun", "lan-genthong-genthongipun", "lan-kanthong-kulit"]·KO["그리고-그의-항아리들을", "그리고-물부대들을", "그리고-부대", "그리고-부대의", "부대를", "항아리의"]·PT["E-os-odres-de-", "e-odre-de", "e-seus-odres", "odre-de", "odres-de-"]·RU["и-кувшины-их", "и-мех", "и-мехи", "и-мехом", "мех-", "меха"]·ES["odre-de", "odres-de", "y-odre-de", "y-odres-de", "y-sus-odres"]·SW["kiriba-cha-", "na-kiriba", "na-mitungi-yake", "na-viriba", "viriba-vya"]·TR["kırba-", "tulum-", "ve-küplerini", "ve-tulum", "ve-tulumlarını"]·urd["اور-مشکوں کو", "اور-مشکیزہ", "اور-مشکیں-اُس-کی", "مشکیزہ", "مشکیں"]
2. jar, vessel, jug — An earthenware jar, pitcher, or vessel — a ceramic container rather than a leather one. Isaiah 30:14 speaks of the 'shattering of a potter's nevel,' and Lamentations 4:2 compares Zion's noble sons to nivle-cheres ('earthen jars'), emphasizing their reduction to worthless clay. Spanish 'vasija/tinaja' and Arabic 'jarrah' point consistently to fired pottery. Jeremiah 13:12 uses the jar as a parabolic prop: 'Every jar shall be filled with wine' — a proverb the people mockingly repeat before its grim judgment meaning is revealed. 5×
AR["إِنَاءِ", "الأَزْقَاقِ", "جَرَّةٍ", "كَآنِيَةِ-"]·ben["-থলির", "পাত্র", "মশক", "মাটির-পাত্র"]·DE["[הנבלים]", "[לנבלי]", "[נבל]"]·EN["as-vessels", "jar", "of-a-potters", "the-jars"]·FR["outre"]·heb["ה-נבלים", "ל-נבלי", "נבל"]·HI["कुप्पा", "कुप्पों-के", "घड़ा", "मिट्टी-के-घड़ों-की-तरह-"]·ID["bejana", "buli-buli", "buyung-buyung", "seperti-kendi"]·IT["otre"]·jav["gendul", "kados-jun", "kendi", "kuwali"]·KO["병들의", "항아리가", "항아리들-로", "항아리의"]·PT["jarro-de", "odre", "odres", "vasos-de"]·RU["за-сосуды", "кувшин", "кувшинов", "сосуда-"]·ES["como-vasijas-de", "los-odres", "tinaja", "vasija-de"]·SW["chupa", "kama-vyungu-vya", "kwa-chungu", "vya-mitungi"]·TR["kabinin", "küpler-gibi", "testi", "tulumlarin"]·urd["برتنوں", "شراب-کے-کوزوں-کے", "مشکیزہ", "گھڑا"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. נֵ֫בֶל n.m. Je 13:12 1. skin-bottle, skin; 2. jar, pitcher;—נֵ֫בֶל abs. 1 S 10:5 +; cstr. v 3 + (on נֶבֶל v. Baer 1 S 1, 24);— 1. skin of wine, נֵ֫בֶל יַיִן 1 S 1:24; 10:3 2 S 16:1, cf. also Je 13:12(×2); pl. נִבְלֵי יַיִן 1 S 25:18: fig. נִבְלֵי שָׁמַיִם Jb 38:37 i.e. clouds (‖ שְׁחָקִים). 2. earthen jar, pitcher: fig. of connexions of Eliakim כְּלֵי נְבָלִים Is 22:24; נִבְלֵיהֶם יְנַפֵּ֑צוּ…